The Ever After

Chapter Twenty-Six: The Eternal Edifice

JUST AFTER MIDNIGHT, WHEN THE SPIRITS OF THE City of Ether had poured through the gates into the great cemetery to begin their night of haunting, three strangers crouched by a sewer grate, staring glumly into the oozing, smelling ectoplasm that flowed past them.

"The ghouls always swim in pairs," Beatrice advised, "and you may have noticed they love to chatter, so we'll hear them if they're there."

"You stay behind me," Fabbio added, thumping his chest once with his fist. "And do not fear." May and Beatrice looked at each other.

"Bravely we go." Fabbio slid into the water, and May and Beatrice slid in behind him, the coolness and sliminess of the ectoplasm making them suck in their breath.

They moved along the short stretch of canal with the current, which wasn't too strong here, and then got to the place where the road overhung the water, where they would go into darkness. Carefully they continued to move forward, till the last of the stars snuffed out of sight. They twisted and turned in the dark, Fabbio leading the way.

"I'm actually getting used to the smell," May whispered. Beatrice squeezed her hand.

"Yes," Fabbio answered. "Any smell, if you are around it long enough, will become invisible to your nose. For instance-"

"Shhhhhh," Beatrice hissed, coming to a stop so hard that May slammed into her. They all stood with ears perked for a moment, and then May heard it.

"Hbbbblellllleeehhhh. Gbbbleh heh bleh heh."

Down the tunnel ahead of them, the water splashed.

Beatrice's hand clutched May's. There was nowhere to hide. "Hbbbbllllbubbblllllllbleh."

A sound like laughter came out of the darkness, getting closer and closer.

"Glubbebbbbbwb." The voices grew steadily louder. May held her breath.

And then the voices began to get lower. It was hard to tell at first, but then it was clear-they were moving away.

The three waited several minutes, listening carefully to hear if the ghouls would come back. They didn't.

"We go," Fabbio whispered, moving again. After that they all kept their mouths shut.

They wound through the sewers for what seemed like hours.

May had stopped feeling the coldness of the water.

"I not sure, but I think we a little bit lost," Fabbio finally whispered.

"Oh, my," Beatrice said.

"I think this map, it is wrong. But it's okay, I fix."

They took several more turns. Fabbio went slower and slower, which made May feel more and more doubtful. Soon they heard a sound up ahead-a series of loud splashes.

They pushed up against the walls of the sewer, the splashing getting louder and louder, moving toward them. This time it kept coming until it was suddenly upon them. Whatever it was it seemed to see them, because it came to a dead stop inches away. May could hear breathing and began to make out two shapes.

"Die!" In the darkness Captain Fabbio leaped forward, tackling one of the creatures and dragging it under the water.

The other creature let out a high-pitched scream. But it wasn't the scream of a ghoul. It was the scream of . . .

"Pumpkin?!" May gasped.

"May?"

There was a giant splash, and Fabbio and the other shape emerged from the water.